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Legacy of the assassination of Lincoln
Essay about the lincoln assassination
Essay about the lincoln assassination
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In the early morning of April 15th, 1865, the nation was flooded with overwhelming waves of emotions after hearing the tragic news. Our 16th President of the United States of America, Abraham Lincoln, was assassinated and killed. Upon discovering the horrendous news of Lincoln’s assassination, the nation suffered many psychological effects after the traumatic event. In coping with the effects, many joined together to offer one another love and support. Individuals also found other ways to cope with their emotions; some people looked to their religious leaders while others looked onto practices of spiritualism.
The culprit who was behind the assassination was a young man named John Wilkes Booth, an eminent actor of his time. One may ponder
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In the book, National Trauma and Collective Memory by Arthur G. Neal, he mentions that since this traumatic event was experienced by the nation as a whole, it is considered to be a national trauma. A national trauma is different from a specific individual experiencing trauma because it is shared amongst others. When others have experienced the same traumatic event they can come together and communicate amongst themselves and get a sense of validation for the emotions that they are feeling. Being able to openly communicate about the event and the effects from it helps individuals to process their emotions and then they can begin the process of healing from the trauma. Often times, when feelings from trauma are not expressed and they are suppressed deep within oneself, the feelings will surface later on as “feelings of anxiety and despair” (Neal 4). Neal elaborates on the effects of trauma stating …show more content…
President Lincoln was shot on Good Friday, April 14th, 1865, and died the following day on Saturday. This made the Easter Sunday, a day when typically the resurrection of Christ is rejoiced and celebrated, instead became a day of extreme mourning. In the article, “The President Who Died for Us” by Richard Fox, he mentions that those who were mourning the death of Lincoln quickly compared him to Jesus Christ and to Moses. Within five hours of Lincoln’s death a mass gathering was held in the state of Manhattan and the congressman of Ohio, James A. Garfield, spoke about the correlation between Lincoln and Jesus. Garfield said, “It may be almost impious to say it, but it does seem that Lincoln’s death parallels that of the Son of God.” Another connection made between Jesus and Lincoln is the idea that Jesus saved all of humankind from “eternal damnation”, and the death of Lincoln, following after the Civil War, signified him as if he “had saved the nation from the civic equivalent of damnation”. A Reverend named C. B. Crane in Hartford, Connecticut stated that, “Jesus Christ died for the world. Abraham Lincoln died for his country” (Fox). Most of the American Christians at this time truly wanted to believe that the correlation between Jesus and Lincoln was accurate, since they loved and adored him so much. Many individuals in the nation took the loss of Lincoln personal, as if he was a family
Most Americans know John Wilkes Booth as the assassin of Abraham Lincoln. Shot at a play at Ford’s Theater on April 14th, 1865. However, the names of the conspirators that surrounded Wilkes Booth are relatively unknown, especially that of Mary Surratt. Mary Surratt, a mother and boardinghouse proprietor, was arrested and tried for the assassination of Abraham Lincoln along with her son, John Surratt. Pleas from her family, lawyer, and fellow conspirators did not allow her to escape her fate, and she was hanged for her crimes on July 7th, 1865.
John Wilkes Booth was a famous actor, and could have had many assassination chances, including Lincoln’s second inauguration. Wanting the South to win the war, he never wanted the punishment of assassinating the president of the United States. Being a supporter of the Confederate, Booth believed that he assassinated Lincoln the momentum would spark the Confederate troops to life and lead them to victory. This book is very vivid in detail and is a great educational tool if you would like to learn more about the assassination of President Abraham Lincoln.
“ Manhunt: The 12-Day Chase for Lincoln’s Killer”, was written by James L. Swanson, a dedicated Lincoln scholar and attorney. He details in his book the incredible escape of John Wilkes Booth’s from authorities, with immaculate descriptions of little-known facts in the case of Lincoln’s Killer. Swanson’s nonfiction book dives into actual pieces of literature written at the time of Lincoln’s assassination by individuals who actually took part in the real-life drama, including John Wilkes Booth himself.April 14, 1865 is a day of infamy in United States history,it is the day that John Wilkes Booth assassinated Abraham Lincoln. Swanson delves deep into the minds of Booth and his accomplices , analyzing their every move. Booth flees the scene of the crime with Davey Herold, who has been a willing participant in Booth's secret plots to kill Secretary of State William Seward, Abraham Lincoln, and Vice President Andrew Johnson.
Booth had got the news that the president would be at the Ford’s theatre. This was great news for john both Mr. and Mrs. Lincoln will be there in the same place. “Booth heard the big news: in just eight hours the man who was the subject of all his hating and plotting would stand on the very stone steps here he now sat. “Booth began to plain his assassination without having to hunt for Lincoln. John had a deep hatred for Lincoln, he had hated the state that our country had been in.
John F. Kennedy’s assassination has been a mystery since it happened in 1993. John F. Kennedy was shot in a moving car in Dallas, Texas. The murder surprised the nation in a time of peace and calmness, It was also “... the first time the vivid immediacy of such acts was brought into the homes of millions” (“The Warren
trigger. Oswald was just an easy mark to pin the crime on, he was set up, most likely by the CIA
. .’, concludes James Oakes’ book with the aftermath of the Civil War and Lincoln’s assassination. Oakes discussed the respect Douglass gathered for Lincoln over the years and the affect his assassination had on both himself and America as a whole. Oakes even brushed over Douglass’ relationship with Andrew Johnson, the president succeeding Lincoln. Analyzing his experience with the new president, it was safe to say that Andrew Johnson had no consideration as to what Douglass and Lincoln previously fought for. Johnson did not have the same political skills as Lincoln did, and he did not retain the same view for America that Lincoln did. It was obvious that Douglass held Lincoln at a higher standard than Andrew Johnson, stating that he was a “progressive man, a humane man, an honorable man, and at heart an anti-slavery man” (p. 269). Oakes even gave his own stance on Andrew Jackson, “It was a legacy that Andrew Johnson could ever match. When all of Lincoln’s attributes were taken into consideration - his ascent from the obscurity to greatness, his congenial temperament, his moral courage - it was easy for Douglass to imagine how much better things would be ‘had Mr. Lincoln been living today’.” (p. 262). It is hard to imagine the pre-war Douglass to have said something like that as opposed to an older, much more reserved Douglass. With the abolishment of slavery, so came much discrimination. Without
Some theories are that it was organized by the CIA, Fidel Castro, an Anarchist group, even by Vice-President Lyndon Johnson. However, once all the evidence is examined, it appears that the assassination was done by a lone man. So much of the evidence, from the way the assassination occurred, to the details of the alleged assassins’ life, and even to the official government findings and a film of the assassination, all point to the fact that there was no conspiracy and that Kennedy was killed by a lone gunman, Lee Harvey Oswald. Evidence that proves Oswald’s guilt are as follows; Oswald was pro-Communist, and hated America. He was in the Depository at the time of the assassination, and searches of the building found evidence of his work. The rifle with his finger prints on it was found by a make-shift snipers nest.
Without any question, most people have a very clear and distinct picture of John Wilkes Booth a in their minds. It is April 1865, the night president Lincoln decides to take a much-needed night off, to attend a stage play. Before anyone knows it a lunatic third-rate actor creeps into Lincoln's box at Ford's theater and kills the president. Leaping to the stage, he runs past a confused audience and flees into the night, only to suffer a coward’s death Selma asset some two weeks later. From the very moment that Booth pulled the trigger, the victors of the Civil War had a new enemy on their hands, and a good concept of whom they were dealing with. A close examination of the facts, however, paint a different view of Booth, a picture that is far less black and white, but a picture with many shades of gray.
There are innumerable conspiracies regarding the assassination of John F. Kennedy, but according to the film “Oswald’s Ghost”, after forty years none of the theories have panned out. Certainly, it is human nature to find solutions, to solve the mystery, and to have the answer pan out. That is why countless people have tried to solve the mystery by delving into the past of Lee Harvey Oswald to find out if he was the perfect assassin or if he was the perfect patsy.
As you can imagine the assassination of Lincoln greatly influenced the relationship between the north and the south. The assassination soured their relationship, increasing the north’s hate toward the south (The Assassination of Abraham Lincoln pg.51). Even before the north even knew who killed Lincoln, they blamed the south. The north mourned whereas the south was happy (History Engine). In the north, not only whites, but blacks too mourned for their fallen president (History Engine). In the south most were happy, but not all of them (History Engine). Some southerners joined with the north in their sadness and sorrow. The ones who mo...
Since November 23, 1963, the day after President John Fitzgerald Kennedy was assassinated, there have been speculations as to the happenings of November 22, 1963. Along with the Warren Commission, there are hundreds of conspiracies and theories attempting to explain the assassination of Kennedy. Many people agree with the Warren Commission in that Lee Harvey Oswald acted as the lone gunman, while others maintain that another gunman was involved. Because of extensive evidence, I believe that Oswald did not act alone on November 22, 1963 in the assassination of Kennedy. The additional gunman was strategically placed in the grassy knoll area, in order to shoot at Kennedy from a frontal view (Rubinstein 4).
Whenever tragedy strikes, people often look for someone with the eloquence and the empathy to reassure them and help them seek some form of comfort. This was especially evident when President Barack Obama was to speak on behalf of the victims and loved ones of said victims on the aftermath of the Sandy Hook Elementary massacre on December 14. Obama’s use of rhetoric in relations to sympathizing with those affected by the tragedy is used as he fervently relates to it on being himself a parent and expresses it as such through the speech. Some have related and compared this to Lincoln’s renown Gettysburg Address. Either way, Obama does achieve the purpose that was sought out by Lincoln regarding the attempt to mitigate the despair of the loss
People can experience traumatic events in many different ways; divorce, war, moving or even rape. A traumatic event is an incident that causes physical, emotional, spiritual, or psychological harm (Cafasso, 2016, para. 1). Traumatic events may not particularly happen to you directly but can affect those around you in various ways. From my previous work experience numerous individuals can handle a traumatic event in a healthy manner and others may experience depression, anxiety, difficulty concentrating and even changes in appetite. Such events can be managed either by seeking out professional or spiritual help. Those who experience traumatic events can be affected in countless ways but have the opportunity to seek out professional help to receive
The theory of trauma that will be highlighted in this study has been discussed in many books, journals and theses. Trauma and Recovery: The Aftermath of Violence--from Domestic Abuse to Political Terror by Judith Herman (1992) explores trauma and puts individual experience in a broader political frame, arguing that psychological trauma can be understood only in a social context. The book also documents and uses the victims’ own words to change the way we think about and treat traumatic events and trauma victims. John Fletcher's book Freud and the Scene of Trauma (2013) helps to explain the affinity that Freud had felt between psychoanalysis and literature and the privileged role of literature in the development of his thought.